Ethanol is a moderately good solvent for many fatty substances and essential oils, and thus facilitates the inclusion of several coloring, flavoring and/or aromatic compounds to alcoholic beverages, especially to distilled ones

In many countries, alcoholic beverages are commonly consumed at the major daily meals (lunch and dinner)

Some studies have suggested that in moderation, alcohol consumption has significant health benefits

Most countries have a legal drinking age that prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors, although the age at which this prohibition ends, as well as the degree to which it is enforced, varies from country to country

Alcoholic beverages that have a lower alcohol content (beer and wine) are produced by fermentation of sugar- or starch-containing plant material; beverages of higher alcohol content (spirits) are produced by fermentation followed by distillation